Photos of the Medieval Fortified Churches of Transylvania

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Photos of the Saxon Medieval Fortified Churches of Transylvania and their Store Rooms. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.     (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Saxon Medieval Fortified Churches of Transylvania

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Photos of the Medieval Saxon & Székely Fortified Churches of Transylvania, Romania.

the Depopulation of Transylvania

In the 10th and 11th centuries Transylvania had been so depopulated after endless conflict that a radical solution to re-inhabiting the area had to be found. In the thirteenth century the Kings of Hungary invited Saxon German colonists to settle in Transylvania. The Saxon settlers thrived, forming a very strong community of farmers, artisans and merchants.

New Saxon Settlers

In the Medieval era Transylvania was a region constantly under the threat from Ottoman Turk and Tatar invasions. The Saxons of Transylvania came up with a solution. They fortified their churches. Stron curtain walls were built around the churches with defensive towers. On the inside of the walls storehouses were built, one for every family in the settlement. The Saxon families kept their most valuable goods in these store rooms along with surplus food they harvested. These well fortified church compounds were ready at a moments notice for the Saxons to enter and protect themselves. They could live in the store rooms and their supplies made it possible to survive long sieges.

The inside of the walls of the biggest Saxon fortified churches have rows of store rooms 3 storeys high where a families grain & meat. Up to 2000 people could flee to safety in the huge church fortifications of Prejmer, Transylvania.

Over 150 fortified churches survive in Transylvania of which a group of six Saxon and one Székely villages are listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites.